Posted: 1/20/2010 9:29:20 AM EDT
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First, I do understand that this is AR15.com... What is the herd think on lever action .44 magnum? I have .44 revolvers and thought that at the BOL a common caliber rifle would be a nice addition. I would expect whatever rifle I got to do double duty and take a deer or MZB in a pinch, if that was the firearm at hand... I have never owned a lever gun but my location and interests are changing so I was giving this gun some thought but definitely want to know what the group experiences are, so let me have it!
Prepper |
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I have several 44mag lever guns and absolutely love them I have 2 Winchester 94 44mags 1 marlin 1894 44 mag and just recently bought a replica Winchester puma 92 44 you can't go wrong with the lever 44mag if your looking for a new gun this would be hard to beat..........you might check out the lever gun section lots of good stuff in there this might some good information for you
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read Halfast's thread on PCCs How old is this one? I still haven't got aquainted with the search functions that I'm told are available to me... Sounds like there is some support for these rifles! Glad to hear that as I am really wanting to justify a purchase... I was thinking something in SS as the area it will be living in is excessively dusty and I would like to take it along when out on the 4 wheelers! Prepper |
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read Halfast's thread on PCCs How old is this one? I still haven't got aquainted with the search functions that I'm told are available to me... Sounds like there is some support for these rifles! Glad to hear that as I am really wanting to justify a purchase... I was thinking something in SS as the area it will be living in is excessively dusty and I would like to take it along when out on the 4 wheelers! Prepper A week old maybe? IIRC, it touched on how a pistol caliber rifle really cant function as a main battle rifle, however, it doesn't sound like that is what you are asking. It sounds like this would be a secondary on hand weapon, and I think its a decent choice. 1) you are already stocking ammo in that caliber. 2) it isn't an EBR and in some situations that may be a large benifit. Some times you don't want to show up in a situation with an AR and $3,000 worth of high speed optics and lights. 3) like I said above, I wouldn't want to be shot with one... |
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I would stick with the 44 because you already have a 44mag hang gun and it nice being able to a companion gun that shoots the same ammo. Hear are some 44mag in stainless
Rossi 44mag Marlin 1894 ss |
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Having a rifle and pistol chambered for the same round is never a bad idea. I have been surfing (and made a few bids on) for a lever in .357 to go alog with my revolvers. Just haven't found the right price yet.
Have also been looking at Ruger six shooters in .30 cal Carbine to pair up with my M1s. Again, still have not found my price. Like I said, I like the idea of pairing up and reducing the need for multiple calibers. 
stasiman |
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Preppernation I was going to ask the same thing but on 357mag lever action because I have a wife who will not learn how to use a AR-15 and I thought to myself KISS. Its a simple weapon to use and operate and seem to need less steps in remedial action! Also the 357mag can take out a deer if it needs to. I have been looking at 24inch 20inch and 19inch the 20 and 19 hold 10 rounds the 24 inch holds 13 rounds not sure if the extra inches is worth the extra rounds? Might just go with a 20 inch not sure yet.
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| I have done a lot of shooting with lever action rifles and currently own pistol caliber as well as rifle caliber lever action rifles. Since you are planning to shoot deer with this rifle, what distances do you expect to shoot? If your shots at a deer will be consistantly under 100 yards, and if you can place your shot well, the .44 Mag should get the job done humanely. I recommend a rifle caliber for anything at greater ranges. A Marlin or Winchester in 30-30 have taken countless whitetail deer over the past 100 years. |
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I have a Marlin .357 lever and a Marlin 44mag lever. They both have killed deer. The 357 is a pussycat as far as recoil goes and is amazingly accurate and fun to shoot. I am really fond of both. My advice is to get the carbine (shorter barrel) version of either. It makes for a much shorter handier package and you don't lose much mag tube capacity because of it. 44mag if you want more power and can take a bit more recoil. 357 if you want light and fast and low recoil.
FWIW, I also have a Henry lever action .22lr which I seem to enjoy more and more every time I take it out. Light (4lbs.), accurate, fast and fun! Can you tell I like lever guns? |
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You are not alone in thinking about this.
With a little thought the Lever Action Pistol caliber gun has the advantage of you only have to stock one type of ammo or reload /handload one type of ammo for Two guns so you can reasonably carry a .44MAgnum gun and handgun at the same tuime and use the ammo for either. Thought about doing the same thing but getting a MARLIN Cowboy carbine in .38/.357 and a Smith and Wesson 686+ revolver to use as a set. I have pondered it a little and after SHTF at first the sheeple may get panicked if they see you carrying a "Black Rifle" and take you on as a threat to them right off the bat without provocation. However they see a good Lever gun and revolver, they might just let you go by thinking "Hmm just another average joe trying to survivie like us!" and not automatically engage you, because today the sheeple have been conditioned to think "Black gun=Bad Man" by the anti gunners. You are hardly undergunned if you have practiced and can work that action fast enough. Also the marlin lever guns you can get a Weaver type rail for the top and put a holograpic sight on it for low light shtf. You may not have lot of "hunting range" as pointed out, but you will own anything on two legs or four for about 120 yards!!! With either the >44MAg or >357 MAg lever gun. Also stick to heavier bullets for more takedown power. In a >357 MAg. rifle and Revolver combination i would stay at 158Gr. loads. Out of a Rifle the 158Gr.recipe out a hornady manual can push up to 2000FPS not much less than the .30-30!! out of the Six inch revolver the 158Gr. loaded out of a Hornady reloading manual can push 1500FPS. not shabby at all. Downside, and the only one i can see is..........Slow to reload the magazine if the battle lasts more than the number of rounds in your lever gun. |
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I have never had a 44, but I have had several 30-30's. I agree with many of the other replies. I like the commonality of calibers. Depending on your home town a lever rifle might draw a lot less attention than an AR-10 or FAL.
Here is a link to the thread about PCC's. Good luck with your decision |
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This is Ar15.com Therefore, I suspect most replies will indicate its too slow, not tactical enough, etc etc ad naseum.
I disagree. I think a basic pistol-caliber lever gun is a great defense weapon. My reasoning is this: Most of us will never need a firearm for a survival purpose. For the small percentage who DO eventually need a firearm, the odds are that any reasonable firearm will suffice. A pump shotgun, a deer rifle, a trap gun all could havebeen quite successful in defensive roles. A basic lever gun would have done just fine in Katrina for example. I'd also argue that a rapid firing firearm that hols 10 or 12 rounds (pistol caliber Carbine) has an edge of most of the aforementioned. It may not be quite as effective as an AK or Ar in repelling hordes, but then again, we rarely repel hordes...... The pistol cal carbine is cost effective. An AR runs $800-1000. Plus Magazines. Plus other junk. It'll run $1000+++ before its good to go. A 357 or 44 carbine needs no magazines or other junk. Its $400-600 and done. The pistol caliber carbine is also just plain effective. 158 grain softpoint 357s out of 18" carbine barrels can be pushed to 1900 fps without diffculty. This is lower end 30-30 performance. 44 mags also hum along. You get substantially better performance out of carbine barrels than pistol barrels. The carbine isn't tactical black. This is a big advantage in some areas where "assault rifles" are a problem. I many need to move back to Canada some day. I do know that a pair of marli 1894 in 357 will go with me... These carbines frequently shoot well. I do know that with minimal load development and a set of Williams Fool Proof rear sights Marlin 1894's frequently shoot about 2"-3" at 100 yards. Thats damned good performance for iron sights! Anything under 150 yards is in serious trouble. There is only two problems with a .44 carbine. Both are easily avoided: 1) Some people like the idea of using both 44 specials and 44 mags. Doesn't work for a damn. The point of impact shift between the two is HUGE. often 8-12" at 25 yards. Measured in feet beyond that. 2) Ideal bullets in the revolver aren't so good in the carbine and vice versa. a 125 grain SJHP in 357 is great in a revolver. Its simply too damned fast and opens up too dramatically out of a carbine. The 158 SOFT point the carbine really likes isn't so great out of a 4" revolver. THis isn't so big an issue with 44 mags. The usual 240 JHP is okay in both carbine and revolver. Avoid the light and fast for caliber loads and you'll do fine.. The .44 carbine will easily take a deer in a pinch and I strongly suspect that at ranges under 125 yards the 44 rem mag might be a more decisive fight stopper than many .223 loads.... I most certainly would NOT feel under gunned with one. I have a strong preference for the marlin 1894's. They are quick, easy to handle and shoot well. However, try to handle one before buying. Marlin was recently bought out and it seems that the accountants are now running the factory. Quality has slipped substantially and a lot of problem guns are now leaving the factory unfortunately. |
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Quoted:
First, I do understand that this is AR15.com... What is the herd think on lever action .44 magnum? I have .44 revolvers and thought that at the BOL a common caliber rifle would be a nice addition. I would expect whatever rifle I got to do double duty and take a deer or MZB in a pinch, if that was the firearm at hand... I have never owned a lever gun but my location and interests are changing so I was giving this gun some thought but definitely want to know what the group experiences are, so let me have it! Prepper Good idea having the lever gun chambered the same as you side arm. Go for it. Don't forget to post pics. |
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I have owned 2 marlins in 44mag and sold both of em. The 2nd one pretty recent as well. If you want a 44mag handgun that you use your shoulder to help steady and handle recoil then I can see playing with the 44mag lever guns. I like the 44mag cartridge and currently have a 6.5 inch double action revolver and a 7.5 inch barrelled single action with a scope on top. These two pretty much do what that lever gun could do for my needs and interests. I also have a 5.5 inch single action that needs to get sold if I ever get a decent price for it. Now one thing I want my 44mags for is to load some light stuff and stick a can on something and have some 240 grain or 300grain globs of lead leaving the firearm quietly for varmint use. When reading up on this stuff you can get worried about rifle twists and what not so yeah I got the marlin lever action in trade a while back and sold it a few months back. If I want to hunt something the handguns will do it if they meet the legal mumbo jumbo of that day's hunting paragraph. One thing I am on the look out for is a 444marlin lever action. It has the right twist for slow loads in the right weights but a piece of 444 brass holds a lot more powder than a 44 mag piece of brass. Use the same bullet diameter as well. So I can download it for varmints or load it up for rifle loads. I understand why a lot of people like the leverguns, I like them as well. They can make for a fun firearm to have around the property and what not as well. But for the most part my 44mag revolvers have enough barrel length to get that 44mag bullet moving well enough to deal with a wild dog, coyote, or deer during season. And if one day some little black bear tries to come through my front door I will see how it works on that thing as well, until I get to my fal anyway. I would love to keep everything I have owned in this life and I would love to have bought every firearm I saw on sale at a nice price. But when it comes to space and money considerations I just don't have much need for a 44mag rifle. Looked at a semi auto ruger in 44mag about 6 months back but reading up on them I passed on it since the pawn shop wanted too much money for it. The .429 bullets can do everything I care to do from ccw to plinking to hunting. But I keep the 44mag in handguns and the 44 special in handguns and while the 444marlin leveraction is larger and heavier than a 44mag leveraction I feel that the next lever action I own will be in 444marlin because it uses bullets I like and when it comes to reloading I decided bullets being able to do different things is fine since the marlin does not turn the 44mag into a rifle round compared to what my 7.5 inch super blackhawk can do with the 44mag. The 44mag lever actions are short and handy and I did and do like that about them. But when I sit one next to one of my revolvers it is hard to say it is more handy than they are. |
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If someone was starting from scratch, and was going to buy both a lever carbine and a revolver, what caliber and why?? On my list of things to buy soon, I want a Winchester '94 and a Colt SAA clone, both in 45LC. Thoughts?? id buy 44 magnum...... mainly for two reasons..... 1. its more powerful 2. 44 mag has been easy to find over the last year, where 38/357 has been really hard to find. plus 357 is not going to do anything the 44 wont, except be lighter recoiling. 45lc should be good as well.... should be easy to locate ammo for ( gunshops).....i messed with the 45lc, but it didnt have the power i wanted in factory ammo... 44 mag offered more power, and is easier to find ( walmart) |
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If someone was starting from scratch, and was going to buy both a lever carbine and a revolver, what caliber and why?? On my list of things to buy soon, I want a Winchester '94 and a Colt SAA clone, both in 45LC. Thoughts?? id buy 44 magnum...... mainly for two reasons..... 1. its more powerful 2. 44 mag has been easy to find over the last year, where 38/357 has been really hard to find. plus 357 is not going to do anything the 44 wont, except be lighter recoiling. 45lc should be good as well.... should be easy to locate ammo for ( gunshops).....i messed with the 45lc, but it didnt have the power i wanted in factory ammo... 44 mag offered more power, and is easier to find ( walmart) How is the recoil or the 44 mag lever action? I have been looking at the 357mag because a 120lbs 5'2 woman is going to be using it she tough but don't want something that she is going to only want to shoot if she need to. Around me you can find more 38 and 357mag then 44mag at the walmart. |
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Some people around here use the 44mag leveractions to let their kids hunt deer with, it has some recoil because it is a short little firearm but I never considered it a big deal. Biggest thing is get the stock length right if it needs to be adjusted. Some people have added recoil reducing butt pads to these rifles for recoil sensitive people. It just depends on the person. As far as 45long colt, my walmart was redoing its ammo section a few months back and they have a spot for 45 long colt ammo, they have not had the ammo in stock yet but they have a spot for it. I kind of consider factory 45 long colt ammo to be similar to 45 special ammo. And as already mentioned, handloaded 45 long colt loads can match and surpass 44 mag loads. I personally started off with 44mag stuff because I was not into reloading. Being able to buy 44special and 44mag ammo let me have 2 power options for the 44mag stuff I owned. And depending on what you want in the overall scheme of things you might decide 44mag stuff is easier to find since it is more popular and I am just guessing that there have been more platforms chambered in 44special and 44mag than have been chambered in 45long colt. |
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I reload so get the maximum benefit out of a .44 mag combination handgun and rifle.
I love my six gun lever action combination and consider it a very viable survival weapon option. Sadly, even for us with more than our share of ammunition, the day may come when resupply isn't a given and ammunition becomes a real factor. Spray and pray gives way to one shot one kill and a hundreds of rounds on your person to under 50. To be blunt, when all you have is one shot, the bigger the bullet the better and its damn hard to beat a .44 magnum. The ability to fire both .44 special and .44 magnum is more than saving some cost or the .44 magnum just came about to be a better round. It gives you a lot of versatility from a very effective manageable low recoil round to a downright hand cannon. Though not as big a deal on the lever action, its a hell of a deal on a six gun where faster follow-up shots are important. I'm long accepted that I am a gun nut. I can tell you right now armed with a .44 mag, I don't ever feel out gunned. One just has to accept, while gangbanger is spraying to the room, he gets one shot from a cannon to the chest. Tj |